The sister of a man who was beaten to death while a group of inmates gathered in an Arapahoe County Jail day hall without deputy supervision or active monitoring has sued county commissioners, the sheriff and several deputies.
Denver attorney John Poor filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver on behalf of Nicol Nowlin, sister of former Arapahoe County jail inmate Michael Craven.
Nowlin is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against the Arapahoe County Commission, Sheriff David Walcher and 10 deputies and officers.
Julie Brooks, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said she couldn’t comment about the case because of the pending litigation.
A confrontation erupted at 2:58 p.m. on Oct. 2, 2015, between Eric Stewart, who was facing numerous charges including attempted murder after firing a gunshot at his girlfriend. Craven, who was facing second-degree assault charges, had gone to Stewart’s second-floor cell and accused him of taking Craven’s boiled pot of water.
“Mr. Stewart attacked Mr. Craven viciously in response. As Mr. Craven attempted to escape into the hallway, Mr. Stewart chased him into the hallway, tackled him, slammed him into the ground and began to beat him about the head face and neck,” the lawsuit says.
Stewart, who had been ordered to receive a mental health competency evaluation due to bizarre behavior, pummeled Craven without interruption for about 46 seconds, the lawsuit said.
While Craven lay dying on the floor for 10 minutes, no jail staff members responded, the lawsuit says. Although the beating and aftermath were captured and recorded by surveillance cameras, no one was watching the monitor. At one point, two inmates were recorded dragging Craven into Stewart’s cell. After 10 minutes, another inmate used an intercom to call for help, the lawsuit says.
After Judge Frederick Martinez ordered the mental health evaluation, Stewart should not have been placed in the general population cell block, the lawsuit says.
“He was not isolated from other inmates; nor was he supervised intensively, despite serious concerns about his mental health and potential for violent behavior,” the lawsuit says.
The Arapahoe County District Attorney’s office charged Stewart with first-degree murder but later entered into a plea agreement with him after he claimed self-defense. Stewart is serving an 18-year prison term on reduced charges.
The lawsuit says this incident was not the first time that inmates assaulted each other and that other inmates had been injured at the Arapahoe County Jail.
The sheriff’s office had failed to monitor the day hall where the fatal attack took place against department policy.
